How one mother will see clearly again soon
Assured by Tzu Chi volunteers that the charity foundation will help her undergo cataract surgery soon, Myrna Quinto of Dagupan said, ‘That has been my sole wish. My mind is at ease now.’
Daily TribuneAssured by Tzu Chi volunteers that the charity foundation will help her undergo cataract surgery soon, Myrna Quinto of Dagupan said, ‘That has been my sole wish. My mind is at ease now.’
Tzu Chi’s medical outreach in Dagupan, Pangasinan was able to serve 662 patients, 85 of whom had mature cataracts that need surgery. | PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF TZU CHI
In the last five years, cataracts have dimmed 62-year-old Myrna Quinto's eyesight.
Tzu Chi Eye Center recently brought its services to the people of Dagupan City in Pangasinan through a medical outreach activity held in partnership with the city's local government.
The medical outreach on 13 August was able to serve 662 patients. Of this number, 85 patients had mature cataracts that need surgery.
Sixty-two-year-old Myrna Quinto is one of those patients. In the last five years, cataracts have dimmed Myrna's eyesight. She lives in a shanty with her husband who sells junk for a living. Their eldest daughter Lisa had to quit her job to look after her.
Lisa used to work as a maintenance personnel at the local shopping mall. The financial burden of supporting the family's kids fell on Lisa's husband, who works as a security guard.
"Mother had long wanted to undergo surgery, but we could not afford it," Lisa said. Cataract surgery in the town costs P14,000 to P20,000 per eye.
After Myrna's consultation at the medical outreach, Tzu Chi volunteers accompanied her and Lisa on their way home to Barangay Lucao. They assured Myrna that Tzu Chi would help her undergo surgery soon, to which Myrna softly replied: "That has been my sole wish. My mind is at ease now."
